Figure 2. A proposed model for the assembly of the large bilayer within DNA-origami barrels (90 nm outer diameter).
Bringing the 11-nm nanodiscs close to each other to within several nanometers is a critical first step. Adding excess lipids solubilized in detergent destabilizes and induces fusion of the neighboring nanodiscs. Next, the intermediate-sized nanodiscs fuse, perhaps aided by transient deformation of the barrel into an ellipsoid contour, to yield a single large bilayer nanodisc. Scale bar, 50 nm.